If a person wants to be cremated they cannot have a traditional funeral because that includes a casket with the deceased body. Have you ever been to a memorial service for a cremated person? If so, how was it done?
I went to one where you viewed the body and then they cremated it afterward.
1 Like
Both of my parents were cremated, but their ashes buried in a cemetery. Each had a small graveside service, 15-20 people, led by a priest from their church. They lasted 15-20 minutes and anyone who wished to say something did. No services were done at a funeral home.
We had neighbors here that were cremated and we have gone to 3-4 services. Their ashes were either going into a vault acquired from the funeral home or being given to someone. Each had a secular memorial at a funeral home. One or more of their children spoke to a sizable and visitors were given the opportunity to speak to the group. The funeral home had gotten many photos from the family and they were being shown on a large screen hung behind and over the podium. Sizes of the crowd ranged from 30-40 to 100+.
In all of these, there was no body viewing. That’s a practice I did not want to have, so I was glad my parents wanted it set up as it happened. Our friends here also had no viewing.
1 Like
Yes. For both my parents. When my dad died, my sisters were livid that they just took him and boom…nothing. They just had a picture of him at his funeral service. He had planned his funeral and my moms funeral. After his funeral, my brother and I contacted the funeral home and asked if it was possible to have a “traditional” viewing and service for my mom, which was not a problem at all. Mom was Catholic, so they had a visitation with the body in a casket. For the service, we had rented a casket, which was empty and remained closed at the service and a traditional Catholic funeral mass was conducted.
Mom and dad’s ashes are in a family plot in Virginia and there was no graveside service. It was very easy to set up. These are tough things to deal with and you are in my thoughts at this difficult time.
1 Like
Not necessarily. The body can be cremated after a funeral service then buried. I’ve seen this done with an inexpensive yet attractive rented casket. For example, I’ve seen cremation both before and after a vigil and mass of Christian burial in the Catholic Church.
This is one more reason why legal directives should be in place and are known to others at the time of death.
1 Like
My wife and MIL were both cremated and both had funerals. The body is not required. I’m not sure if I’d have been allowed to have my wife’s body at her funeral anyway because she had Covid. I had to pay a surcharge for the funeral home to handle it.
You have photos and whatever other traditional things a funeral has.
1 Like
Covid may have played a role with your wife. We just found out the hard way that sometimes the family has trouble with closure when they can’t “say goodbye” one last time. The funeral home was very accommodating to our wishes and it helped my sisters emotionally deal with the loss.
I think a lot depends on your Definition of a Funeral.
We are seeing many funerals held a month or more after death… obviously no casket etc.
It consists of a Catholic Funeral Mass… followed by remarks by the priest and family members and friends.
Most of these involve Family from out of the area. There is time for plans and travel.
More and More the ashes are placed in spaces in a mausoleum.
===
Cremation makes a lot of sense. We see lots of Cemeteries along traveled roads that at the time were farm land surrounding a small long gone wooden church. There is far better use for this land,
1 Like
Body present and view-able is by no means a requirement for a memorial service. Some that I have attended did have a casket present but not open. Ma had the whole deal, because Pop had traded with funeral director years ago; his merchandise for the full deal. I asked what was involved and nobody knew what was in the package until it happened: Embalmed! Costs quite a bit more than closed casket where the refrigerated remains reside in a bag.
I think generally without a body it is called a memorial service; like a funeral for those of us that are not Catholic. Wife’s young niece expired (after taking the jab) and her MIL is Catholic so that is how it happened. They cremated so COD can never be determined. The mass was, I guess, a mass. Hard to understand the Ethiopian priest, and there was no deviation from the liturgy. Nobody got to say a word though many likely would have. Cemetery is supposedly full but it was no problem to dig her a little post hole and dump her ashes in.
You can rent a casket from many funeral homes. I posted a wanted ad for a child size casket many years ago. A funeral home contacted me and said they had a used one that had a dent. Turns out they rented it for dead kids. I changed my mind. I was going to use it for a motorcycle trailer.